Material handling mechanism



0a. 28, 1941. v B. J. D] SANTO 2,260,611

MATERIAL HANDLING MECHANISM.

Filed Nov. 18, 1938 s Sheets-Sheet 1 50 Z 20 zaa fl M5 INVENTOR B. J. DI SANTO MATERIAL HANDLING MECHANI SM Filed Nov. 18, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 QINVENTOR Bdrfe/ J." Difiamo 1 m 3 .T. a 0 w m 0 a Jm X 5 Z 7 R .r 3 2w W 2 .m 4 8 mi. E m I. R S M I NTU! T 5 K A .,0- 4 l s M M s r 1 z n m 0v. 0 w m 0 53 T E N 8 N M 0 IIMZ WI, A G 8 3 J34 W41 m 1 7 m n v 0 I 5 N o 1 I7 J, N 4 4 L w 5 B n u w 4 z w H F 3 J M r M 71% m. mww w 1 I 4 ,4 9 W 1 7W MW 00 a a, m t w c 0 i Patented Oct. 28, 1941 MATERIAL HANDLING MECHANISM Bartel .1. Di Santo, Woodbridge, N. J a's'slgnor to American smelting and Refining Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 18, 1938, Serial No. 241,105

5 Claims.

This invention relates to the handling of metal billets and provides apparatus which, though of particular importance in the cupping of copper billets preparatory to the production of copper tubing, may be employed in various operations.

In producing copper tubes bypiercing copper billets, the. billets are customarilybored or cupped at the ends in order to properly center the piercing tool.

Among, other features, the present invention provides improved equipment for conveying successive billets to the cupping machine and firmly securing them in proper position ,during the boring or cupping operation, while automatically controlling the feeding of billets to the machine at predetermined time intervals.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its obiects and advantages, and the manner in which it may be carried out, may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which Fig.1 is: a plan view of the present improved construction, certain parts being omitted for clarity of illustration, I

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of conveyor B by mechanism which will be described hereinafter, The cross-conveyor B may be simply a pair of suitably spaced-apart rails I2, which receive the billets cross-ways'of the rails and allow them to roll down into operative engagement with the clamping means, the rails l2 being held spaced apart by means of spacers M, the cross-conveyor being mounted on supports I6, at approximately the end of the conveyor B remote from the conveyor A, the adjacent end of conveyor B being mounted on a Z-bar l8 secured to a side frame l9, connecting the end supports 8.

conveyor rollers I0.

The body of the conveyor A is adapted for vertical tilting movement responsively to the billets reachinga predetermined position. To this end, and to effect an automatic transfer of the billets from the conveyor A to the conveyor B,-

there is provided a limit switch 20,:which is mounted on a plate 200, suitably welded to the frame angles 2 I, the switch 20 comprising'a suitably ,mounted spring arm held normally in the path of travel of the billet.

The switch 2|! is connected to a motor 22 through a relay box, the motor 22 operating,

through 'a speed reducer 25, an arm 26 which,

is secured by a pin I28 to a link 30, this link be- Fig. 1, g 30 ing keyed at 3| to a shaft 32, which shaft ex- Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of tends longitudinally -of the conveyor frame 6, Fig. 1, and and which is mounted in suitable bearings 31 which is adapted to deliver billets or the like,

to a cross conveyor B, which discharges the billets onto suitable holding devices D which'hold the billets in position to be clamped by clamping mechanism C positioned at one side of the holding devices, as will be apparent from the diagrammatic showing in Fig. 1, by means of which the billets are held firmly in position for cupping or boring operations.

The conveyor section A comprises the frame 6, which is mounted on suitable supports, indicated at 8, and which carries conveyor instrumentalijzies, such as idler rolls l0, along which the billets ing provided with suitableholes through which are conveyed by gravity, the billets moving iljengthways along the conveyor rolls, the billets being transferred automatically to the crossand 39, which bearings are mounted, in turn, upon'the end members of conveyor frame 6.

'The angles 2| of the conveyor have secured to them, as by welding, plates 4|, 4| which are keyed to the shaft 32, the plates of course bethe shaft passes. The securing of the plates 4|,

4| is facilitated by providing angles 45, 45, the

ends of which are welded to the side angles 2| of the conveyor, and the sides of which are welded .to the plates 4| along the length thereof.

Consequently, the angles 2| are tied together securely, so that the entire top structure of the conveyor tilts vertically laterally upon the shaft 32 being turned responsively to actuation of the arm 26 by operation of the motor 22 when a billet 38 engages the limit switch 20 to depress its arm,

The actuation of the arm.26 is effected means of an eccentric mounting 21, which is keyed to the motor shaft, rotation of the motor,

shaft consequently reciprocating the arm 26 in a vertical plane. Therefore, as the arm 26 as- Angles 2| serve as mountings for the bearings 23 for the cends, it lifts the conveyor angles 2| and the rollers l 8 laterally, as shown in Fig. 2, until the billets roll from the rollers l8 onto the arms l2 of the cross-conveyorB; and as the revolution of the shaft is completed, the conveyor is returned to its billet-receiving position. A stop or bumper plate- 28 is provided for preventing the billets from running off from the end of the conveyor A.

In order to stop the motor 22, there is pro vided a second limit switch 41 which includes a switch arm 48 which is adapted to be engaged by a suitable contact cam 8| which is keyed to the motor shaft, .and which is adapted to trip the switch arm 48 to actuate the switch 41 for stopping the motor 22 responsively to the arm 28 reaching its low position at the end of each revolution of the motor shaft 21. Switches 28 and 41 are electrically interconnected in known manner, as through the relay box aforesaid, so that closing the former automatically closes the latter.

The arms 28 which receive the billets from the being eccentrically mounted on a disc 12 which is rotated by the motor 22, the billet being restrained on the conveyor A bythestop plate 28 until the conveyor rollers l8 have been tilted vertically and laterally sufficiently to allow the billet to roll off onto the arms l2, it then rolling down along these arms until it rolls onto the arms 28, which are held normally in elevated position,'as shown in Fig. 2, by means of the counterweight 48.

As the billet passes onto the arms- 28, it overcomes the action of the counterweight 48, and depresses the arms 28 until the billet is brought into position for clamping, the momentum of the billet carrying it past the abutments 42 and into contact with the upturned ends 88, where it becomes held between these upturned ends and the abutments 42. As the arms 28 assume their low position under action of the weight of the billet, the billet is brought into proper alignment with the clamping mechanism C to enable the billet to be gripped by the clamping jaws, which are in conveyor A and the cross-conveyor B, are fixed to rotate with a shaft 88, which, in turn, may be mounted conveniently in suitable bearings 88 on the supports I8. The arms 28 are upturned as is indicated at 88 to form stops for the billets,

one of which is indicated at 88. Also, one of the arms 28 is extended sufficiently to receive a counterweight 48, this counterweight being sufliciently heavy to hold normally the arms 28 in raised position, as shown in Fig. 2, the counterweight however beingless, in weight than the -weight of the arms 28 with a billet thereon,

. billet being held between the ends 88 and the upwardly projecting stop lugs 42, which the billet overrides through its momentum of travel down the rails l2, but which prevents displacement of the billet after it comes to rest against the upturned ends 88 of the arms 28. 4

This clamping mechanism C comprises a frame indicated generally at 44 on which are'positioned cooperating clamping devices, one of which, designated at 48, is fixedly mounted, whereas the cooperating complemental member 48 is slidably mounted in a guide 88 and on the sidev rails 82 of the frame 44.

The stationary clamping member 48 is held rigidly by bolt 84 suitably anchored in the frame members 44 to allow for a certain amount of adjustment of the clamping member 48, and also by a screw 58 which is threaded in an upwardly extending end block 88 of the frame 44.

The movable block 48 is actuated by a toggle I mechanism 88 which'is operated by a piston rod the billet therein.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent how the system of the present invention operates. Each billet 88 as it travels along the conveyor section A engages the arm 28 of the .limit switch, which is yieldably held in position in the path of the billets by suitable spring action. Engagement of the billet with the limit switch arm 28 depresses the said arm. This acconveyor A through operating the arm 28, this tion starts the motor 22 which vertically tilts the open position with the actuating toggle 88 in released position.

In order to effect this gripping, fluid pressure is introduced into the cylinder 88 by suitable actuation of the valve I4 which is provided to control the supply of fluid to the piston cylinder 88 for actuating the piston rod 82, thereby causing the toggle 88 to straighten and moving the clamping member 48 forwardly into clamping position. The fluid connections between the valve 14 and the cylinder 88 are indicated at 18 and I8, and a screw 88 is provided, desirably, behind the toggle 88 in order to efiect any needed adjustment of the motion ofthe toggle and the clamping member 48. v This screw is threaded through an end block 82 of the clamping machine frame. designated by 84, 88 and 88 desirably are provided to maintain the screws 88 and 88 in their pre-selected adjusted positions. It may be noted that key-ways 88 and 82 may be provided on the shaft 88 for securing the arms 28 to the shaft.

What is claimed is:

1. Material handling mechanism .comprising v conveyor means along which articles being conveyed are adapted to travel, the said conveying means including a tiltable-section, and mechanismautomatically operable responsively to the said articles arriving at a predetermined station for actuating the conveyor section to tilt the same for effecting discharge of the said articles, the said mechanism including instrumentalities for tilting the conveying section from receiving position to discharging position, a motor for 0D,

metal billets and the like comprising conveying instrumen'talities along which billets being conveyed are adapted to travel, means enabling the said conveying instrumentalities to be tilted to effect discharge of the billets from the said conveying instrumentalities, the said means in- Suitable lock nuts, such as those eluding a motor, lifting means including va lever controllingthe; motor and operated by engagement of a billet with the switch as the billet moves on the conveying instrumentalities, a second switch forstopping the motor upon return of the conveyor instrumentalities from discharging position, a, motor-operated contact for the second motor simultaneously with the conveying instrumentalities assuming conveying position, and connections between the said switches for producing simultaneous actuation of both switches.

3. Material handling mechanism for conveying metal billets and the like comprising a pivoted frame section-supporting conveying insti'umentalities along which billets being conveyed are Q adapted to travel, means enabling the said conveying instrumentalities tobe tilted to effect discharge of the billets from the said conveying system actuated by the motor, a limit switch forswitch adapted to open the switch to stop the ing means to eflect discharge of the billets therefrom, receiving instrumentalities for the billets including a second conveyor comprising a de livery frame for the billet, cooperating arms pivv otally mounted on the frame, andbeing Shift-7 able responsively to theweight of a billet received thereonfrom a billet-receiving to a billetholding position, the saidshi ftable arms having billet-holding devices thereon for continuously retaining the billet in predetermined position when the instrumentalities are in billet-holding position, and clamping devices for securing the billets in the said predetermined position for machining operations on the billets.

instrumentalities, the said means including a motor, lifting levers actuated by the motor and engaging a portion of the frame to lift one side of the frame around its pivot, a limit switch forstarting the motor and operated by engagement of a billet with the switch as the billetmoves on the conveying instrumentalities, a second switch'for stopping the motor upon discharge I of the billet. from the conveyor, contact means operated by the motor for engaging the second switch to actuate the said switch for stopping the motor after a predetermined time interval of operation, and means for producing simultaneous actuation of both switches.

4. Material handling mechanism for metal billets and the like comprising conveying means along which billets being conveyed are adapted to travel, mechanism for actuating the convey- 5. Material handling mechanism for metal billets and the like comprising conveying means along which billets being conveyed are adapted to travel, mechanism for actuating the.conveying means to eifect discharge of the billets theredevices to clamp a billet retained in position bythe saiddevices, and fluid pressure actuated devices for operating the said clamping jaws.

BARTEL J. DI SANTO. 

